


Nothing In The World Can Buy

by Maluminspace



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer
Genre: Barista Michael, Christmas, Fluff, M/M, Muke - Freeform, barista calum, coffee shop AU, office worker luke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 17:06:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16937286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maluminspace/pseuds/Maluminspace
Summary: Anyone else would probably perceive Luke as arrogant but Michael sees past the office worker’s facade. Luke’s cocky smile and remarks are nothing more than a misplaced attempt to keep his true self hidden, Michael knows this because he’s been guilty of doing the exact same thing in the past.“Ah you forgive him, don’t you, Mikey?” Calum smirks, quirking his eyebrows as he takes the boxes and turns to take them over to the counter where they’re kept.“Ignore him...” Michael scoffs as he steps towards the till. “What can I get for you today?” He asks, trying desperately not to imagine just how red his cheeks are right now.The smirk is still lingering on Luke’s lips as he hands Michael a piece of paper with a long list of names and coffees written on it. “Sorry, it’s an extra complicated today.” He shrugs. “Everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit so pretty much all of them want some festive flavour in their coffee this morning.”Michael scans the list quickly, internally sighing at how long it will take to make everything that’s written on it. Just before he starts the mammoth task, he realises something. “Your order isn’t on here...” He frowns, returning his gaze to Luke.





	Nothing In The World Can Buy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [merlypops](https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlypops/gifts).



> This is the first of a few (hopefully) little Christmas blurb ideas I've had. 
> 
> As always I have a special person to thank for helping write this, especially because I struggle with Muke, but this idea just really fit them! So thank you, Katy, you lil beaut! <3
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> Title taken from 'Sleigh Ride' By the Ronettes.

Michael Clifford always volunteers for the early shifts on weekdays. Most of his co-workers think he’s crazy, although they don’t complain because it means they get longer in bed. What most of them don’t know, however, is that at approximately 8.45am every Monday-Friday the happiest part of Michael's day happens. It’s at this time, that Luke Hemmings, of ‘Irwin’s Stationery Ltd’ visits the coffee shop to pick up the, usually very large and often complex, drinks order for the daily morning meeting.

As Michael will tell almost anyone who’ll listen, Luke Hemmings is the most handsome man on the entire planet. He’ll happily talk for hours about how this beautiful man nearly always wears his curly dark blonde hair scraped back into a messy bun, which he somehow makes work beautifully with his smart suits. Michael will also tell you about how Luke’s pretty blue eyes always sparkle when he laughs at the lame jokes the barista uses as a terrible flirting technique. 

Today though, Luke is almost ten minutes late and Michael is starting to worry that he’s not going to have the pleasure of the office worker’s company at all this morning. In fact a miserable mood starts to settle over the barista as he serves the steady stream of grumpy commuters and early morning shoppers. As he hands over yet another gingerbread flavoured latte to a sour-faced, middle-aged executive whose suit and coat look as though they cost more than the rent on Michael’s flat for a whole year, the barista is already counting down the hours to when he can clock off.

“Hey Mike, can you grab some more of the brown sugar sachets from the back for me?” Calum asks as he places a croissant into a paper bag for the latest in a long line of customers.

Michael hesitates as he glances at the tinsel adorned clock and the frosty glass front door, his bottom lip caught between his teeth anxiously.

“Don’t worry, lover boy.” Calum smirks, his dark brown eyes twinkling with mischief. “I’ll call you back if your boyfriend comes in!”

Knowing that he’s likely to get a warning at the very least, if he uses an offensive hand gesture, Michael settles for sticking out his tongue, before turning on his heel to head into the back room.

Flicking on the light in the storage room, Michael scans the shelves leisurely for the boxes of sugar sachets. He figures that if Luke isn’t going to turn up today, he may as well take his time and draw out the little time he gets away from moody customers.

When Michael started this job around 8 months ago, he’d been looking forward to Christmas. He’d imagined that his colleagues and customers would be in high spirits once the festive decorations and music began brightening up the already cheerful little cafe. As soon as December had arrived though, Michael had quickly discovered how wrong his assumptions were. The other baristas had began to sigh and eye roll every time the most over-played Christmas tunes filled the speakers, within the first few days. Even Michael himself had started to miss the annoying dj’s on their local radio station playing generic cheesy hits from ten years ago, as a posed to ones specifically about snow and Father Christmas.

Michael fills his arms with a few boxes of sugars sachets, napkins and wooden stirring sticks. He knows he may as well stock up on all the things they’re likely to need need throughout the rest of their morning rush. As he collects the various items, his mind wonders back to yesterday, Luke had been wearing his thick black winter coat and some dark grey trousers with his usual smart, shiny shoes. He looked every inch, the perfect businessman, but Michael knows that the young blonde man is only the office junior. During the brief conversations they have whilst Michael makes the drinks on Luke’s list, the barista had learnt that Luke has high ambitions of working his way to the top one day, his best friend is the company owner’s son, so Luke is hopeful that he’ll manage to make his climb fairly quickly. Michael would usually say that that kind of confidence was bordering on cocky and smug, however it only made him want Luke more. 

“Mike!” Calum calls, interrupting, Michael’s stream of thoughts. “I need you to help me with this order, please!”

Sighing, Michael grabs the last box from the shelf and carries the load in his arms carefully into the main room of the cafe. As He steps back into the main room of the cafe, Michael’s met with a mischievous grin from his best friend. 

Calum speaks far too loudly as he holds out his hands for the boxes in Michael’s arms. “I’ll take those, so that you can serve your favourite customer.” 

Michael feels his cheeks heat up in a blush as he glances up to the customer at the till. It’s Luke, because of course it fucking is. His grin is particularly smug as he raises an eyebrow. “If I’d known I was your favourite, I wouldn’t have kept you waiting an extra fifteen minutes.”

Anyone else would probably perceive Luke as arrogant but Michael sees past the office worker’s facade. Luke’s cocky smile and remarks are nothing more than a misplaced attempt to keep his true self hidden, Michael knows this because he’s been guilty of doing the exact same thing in the past.

“Ah you forgive him, don’t you, Mikey?” Calum smirks, quirking his eyebrows as he takes the boxes and turns to take them over to the counter where they’re kept.

“Ignore him...” Michael scoffs as he steps towards the till. “What can I get for you today?” He asks, trying desperately not to imagine just how red his cheeks are right now.

The smirk is still lingering on Luke’s lips as he hands Michael a piece of paper with a long list of names and coffees written on it. “Sorry, it’s an extra complicated today.” He shrugs. “Everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit so pretty much all of them want some festive flavour in their coffee this morning.”

Michael scans the list quickly, internally sighing at how long it will take to make everything that’s written on it. Just before he starts the mammoth task, he realises something. “Your order isn’t on here...” He frowns, returning his gaze to Luke.

The blonde shrugs and Michael’s pretty sure he doesn’t imagine a slight colour rising in Luke’s cheeks. “Well, I knew it was pretty complicated order today, so I didn’t wanna give you extra work to do.”

Michael’s heart feels so full that he’s sure it might burst at any second. “Well that’s a shame.” He smiles. “Because I was going to offer my favourite customer extra whipped cream for his _free_ drink today.”

The smile that spreads across Luke’s face is perhaps the most genuine one that Michael’s ever seen. There’s not a single hint of a smirk or the cocky grin he sometimes has when he responds to Michael’s subtle flirting. “Well if there’s extra whipped cream on offer...” 

Michael fails to suppress a very immature giggle that makes Calum roll his eyes as returns to the counter. “I’ll serve the rest of these people while you to flirt, shall I?” He grins sarcastically. 

“I think your friend hates me.” Luke snickers, a mischievous glint returning to his beautiful blue eyes. “Maybe I should offer him my free coffee to cheer him up.”

Michael scoffs. “He gets enough free coffees.” He shrugs. “He’s just bitter because no one has flirted with him in a long time.”

Calum narrows his eyes in a fake scowl. “That’s not true.” He protests. “It’s a daily occurrence, in fact!” 

The office worker grins as he nods. “I have no doubt! You strike me as a person who really knows how to flirt.” Luke leans against the counter casually. “I bet you give away more free drinks than you can keep count of.”

Calum snorts as he busies himself making a latte for the next lady in the queue. “I’m not that lame.” He shrugs, sending a pointed glare Michael’s way as he places the cup under the machine. “I don’t need to serve someone for months and months before they have even the tiniest clue that I’m into them.”

Michael sends a death glare his friend’s way as he begins making the first drink on Luke's list. “Yeah, it’s just a pity that none of them flirt back.”

Luke chuckles and makes Michael’s heart skip in his chest the way it always does when he manages to make the beautiful office worker laugh.

Calum starts to argue that plenty of people flirt back but Michael ignores him in favour of watching Luke as the first cardboard cup fills up under the machine.

“So what’s your secret?” Luke asks once Calum is finished rambling on about the ‘dozens of hot girls’ he’s taken out since starting work at the cafe a year or so ago. “Do you have a go to move or line that never fails you?”

Calum nods delightedly as he finishes serving his customer. “I give them a really cute smile and always compliment them.” He explains. “Subtly, though! They see right through it when you’re all like ‘wow what a pretty smile’ or ‘your eyes are so beautiful’. That’s borderline creepy, so I always opt for something like, ‘I’ll give you the red napkin to match that pretty hat!’ Or something along those lines.”

Michael sniggers. “Ingenious, Cal...” 

Luke however, looks kind of thoughtful as he asks. “And that works, huh?”

Calum nods proudly before throwing a playful slap at Michael’s arm. “It’s got a pretty high success rate.”

An almost nervous expression adorns Luke’s face as he asks. “So if I was to use that technique on your cute friend, here...”

Calum smirks. “There’s really no need, mate!” He laughs. “You could literally just ask him what time he wants to meet you at the pub later and he’ll be there with bells on!”

Michael’s cheeks immediately heat up in another blush as he returns Calum’s earlier slap to the arm. “I hate you, Calum!” He whispers.

“I couldn’t do that.” Luke giggles. “I like to do the whole _wooing_ thing.”

Calum’s raises his eyebrows, “then compliment his hair, he’s always a hoe for that.”

Michael almost spills the extra large cappuccino he just made in his haste to turn to Luke. “I’m not a hoe!” he babbles desperately. 

As Luke takes the latest cardboard cup, he allows his fingers to linger over Michael’s. “I know, Michael C.” He winks, using the name that’s printed on Michael’s name badge. 

Luckily there’s a small influx of customers to keep Calum busy as Michael finishes making the long list of drinks for the workers at Irwin’s Stationery Ltd. As he hands Luke the last drink he asks. “So what can I get for you?”

Luke shrugs, “as it’s a free gift, why don’t you surprise me?” He asks charmingly.

It only takes a moment for Michael to decide what to make. Luke’s been favouring creamy and sweet drinks since the weather turned colder, so it’s an easy decision. The barista takes special care to make the festive orange flavoured hot chocolate, ensuring that it’s the perfect consistency and temperature before adding just the right amount of whipped cream on top and adding some Christmassy sprinkles on the top. He moves to pick up a little cardboard sleeve to wrap around the hot cup, but Calum hands him one that he’s just assembled with a suspiciously bright smile. 

Michael slides the sleeve over the cup and makes a mental note to tell Calum how weird he is later, before handing the drink to Luke with flirtatious expression.

Luke’s pretty face brightens in a smile as he takes the cup. “Wow... that might be the fanciest drink I’ve ever been given.” He closes his eyes as he pulls it closer to his nose to smell it. “Is it chocolate orange?” He asks, with a faint smile.

Michael nods his confirmation. “It’s my favourite drink to make at the moment.” He adds. 

“Thank goodness for that!” Luke grins “because I’m gonna be ordering at least one of these every day for the rest of the year.” His eyes sparkle as he hands over the money for his colleagues’ drinks. “Are you sure you won’t let me pay for it?”

Michael wrinkles his nose and shakes his head. “Call it an early Christmas gift.” He insists as he rings up the order and takes the notes from Luke.

“Then it’s only fair that I get you something in return.” Luke grins. “Keeping with the Christmas drinks theme, maybe I can buy you a spiced cider or a mulled wine this weekend? I know an amazing pub in town that makes the best festive cocktails too.”

Michael’s heart practically beats out of his chest as he processes what’s actually happening. The beautiful guy he’s been crushing on for months is actually asking him on a _date_. A slightly worried expression starts to cloud Luke’s face when Michael doesn’t reply for an almost uncomfortably long time. All he can manage to do in his state of complete shock, is move his lips soundlessly.

“Let me translate for you, I speak fluent nerd.” Calum intercepts. “He says he’ll be there, his number’s on the inside of the cardboard sleeve of your _gift_ , just text him the time and place, he’s free all weekend because he’s a loser with no friends.”

Michael’s only faintly bothered by Calum’s lame attempt an insult. The way that Luke laughs it off, makes Michael cares a hell of a lot less than he probably should. 

Pulling off the little cardboard wrap around his cup, Luke smiles and grabs his phone from his coat pocket. Michael notices that Luke saves his number under ‘Michael C’ with a coffee emoji before typing out a message that definitely includes a sparkly pink heart emoji and hitting send. “Now you have my number, too.” He smiles, returning his phone to his pocket and picking up the polystyrene trays of drinks “I’ll see you tomorrow, hopefully with a less complicated list of drinks...” he aims a wink at Michael before turning towards the door.

“See you tomorrow, Luke.” Michael calls, far more dreamily than he’d intended.

As soon as Luke's out of the door Calum grins as he scruffs Michael’s hair enthusiastically, “Well it’s about time. You finally got a date with your stationery guy!” 

Michael would usually try to snap off the hand of anyone if they dared to touch his hair, but today he lets Calum off with a soft nudge because nothing is more important than the fact that Luke Hemmings just asked him out on a date.


End file.
